1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an implement for handling the bales and more particularly to a bale wagon having a mechanism mounted on the front thereof to pick up bales from the ground as the wagon travels forwardly and to throw the bales rearwardly into the wagon.
It is known to provide bale wagons having mechanism for picking up bales from the ground and delivering them into the wagon and having mechanism to discharge loaded bales from the wagon.
The present invention is concerned with an improved mounting structure for the bale pickup means to the bale wagon, which improvement facilitates the handling of bales.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Implements of this type currently in use, employ a bale pickup and throwing mechanism which has a fixed orientation in respect of the bale wagon, and thus all bales are delivered to the wagon along the same flight path. This fixed orientation of the pickup and throwing mechanism has disadvantages under certain operating conditions such as on hilly terrain, or when winds are prevailing, as the bales may be thrown beyond the confines of the wagon.
More particularly it is pointed out that when the equpment is operating on a side hill with, for example, the right side of the equipment at a lower elevation than the left side, unless provision is made to the contrary, bales will be thrown towards the right wall of the wagon to build up in height to the top of the wagon and finally bales will spill over the side of the wagon.
Also when the wagon is travelling on level ground, the bale pickup and throwing mechanism which has a fixed orientation in respect of the bale wagon has a disadvantage as all the bales are delivered to the wagon along the same flight path and thus all the bales are piled up together at substantially the same location in the wagon whereby it is difficult to fully load the wagon.
Another disadvantage resides in the fact that with structures of the foregoing type it is not possible to vary the position of the lower pick up end in accordance with the location of the bale to be pick up relative to the line of travel of the wagon.
It is thereto the principal objective of the present invention to provide a bale handling implement including a wagon and a bale pick up and throwing mechanism, wherein the operator may vary the flight path of the bales in accordance with the operating conditions and desired bale distribution in the wagon, and vary the location of the lower end of the mechanism to align with bales lying on the ground.
A further objective of this invention is to provide improvement in or modification of the bale wagon claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,802.